


Rogue Affair

by GreatBlueDane



Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Demon Hunters, No Romance, Other, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-03 03:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16318553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreatBlueDane/pseuds/GreatBlueDane
Summary: [Reader Insert] When you were given a job you never asked who you were sent after, and you never asked who gave you the job. So when a mysterious employer sends you to find out what's happened to his sister, you treat it as just a regular old job.However, after a failed attempt to complete your ultimatum and an unexpected visit from your enigmatic employer, you soon find yourself caught up in the web of secrets and perils created by the oldest and most powerful vampire of all: Tougo Sakamaki.





	1. Introduction (Author's Note)

 Bonjour, everyone! This is TheGreatBlueDane speaking and I just wanted to let you guys know a few important things before I get started with this story. After hours and hours of seemingly endless searching, I failed to find a single piece of fanfiction (in this fandom) that defied the 'vampire hunter falls in love with its target" cliche. After seeing the disappointing lack of fics like this, I decided to fix that problem by making one myself! Before you start this story, I'm going to let you know a few things to help with your experience.

  * Firstly, this story is not focused on romance; this story is meant to focus mostly on the hunter aspect of your life and not the person you're supposed to fall in love with. There is a good reason for this, but I will expand upon it at another time to keep this A/N short.
  * Secondly, please don't spam me with comments telling me to update, okay? When you guys do that it makes this feel more like a chore and not something I'm doing for fun. And when that happens, I'm less likely to give you a quality update and more likely to give you something rushed and poorly paced.
  * Thirdly, this story is going to contain some violence (you are a vampire hunter, after all), so if you aren't comfortable with that, this is not the story for you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       



        This is all I have to say about the story but I'm not finished talking just yet. Here's some information about you! For starters, your appearance is going to be partially set. It's nothing too serious; as a hunter, you have a pretty tall and muscular physique. If I had to compare it to something else, I would say you're like an Amazon warrior or one of the Quartz soldiers from Steven Universe, but more human-sized. You have many scars all across your body (you're a human in this story, and humans aren't immortal, invulnerable, or invincible). To add on to this, your hair is cut short for practicality. It's in whatever style you want it to be in, but it's still short hair.

        That's all for this author's note! If you guys have any questions about your character or this story, ask in the comment section of the chapter, and I'll try to answer as best as I can without spoiling the story.

        I hope you guys enjoy the story - au revoir!


	2. Eins

A low rumble of thunder filled the air; a jagged string of light of arced through the sky. You paused for a moment; then continued your task. The radio forecasts had said there would be a severe storm and it seems the report was right. The past few days had been filled with sweltering heat, humid air, and powerful gusts of wind. Huffing, you slammed the blade of your ax into a branch - the wood gave way almost immediately. You gathered the limb and the others like it into a stack and threw them into your wheelbarrow. You took the handles in your hands and shoved the cart forward, beginning the short trip to the shed outside your house. 

        It wasn't long before the shack came into view. You came to a rough halt in front of the small building and began to lug the boughs out of the barrow into the shed. You gave a curt nod to yourself once your task was done and retreated into your cabin. 

        "A shower would be nice right about now," you murmured to yourself. The ambient sound of quiet voices filled the air as you trod into your living room. It looks like you forgot to turn off the radio before you left. You quickly stepped over to it, picked it up and shut it off, before setting the device back on your table.

        One quick shower later, you were draped across your sofa with a novel in hand. A loud crack of thunder sounded out and you craned your neck towards the window. Slowly, fat raindrops begin to pound against the window as you settle back into your spot on the couch. Absentmindedly, your thoughts began to drift towards your dinner for the night. You could make some pasta, but you weren't sure you had the ingredients to make any sauce for it. It had been a while since you had gone out to buy food for the house. Maybe you could-

        Your wandering thoughts were interrupted by the pendant around your neck. The indigo gem that hung from the smoky gray string was now softly glowing. The light within the gem was pulsating, which only meant one thing: the Agency had a job for you.

        It looked like your dinner would have to wait until later.

* * *

        Silently, you twisted your head side to side as you searched for your liaison and your employer. You checked your watch: it was five o'clock. You had been at the designated rendezvous point thirty minutes prior to the actual time you were supposed to be there, and that time had since passed. They should be showing up any minute now. You wouldn't be surprised if the agent showed up late; despite how seriously and cautiously the Agency handles things, she was always ten minutes late. You haven't told your superiors yet, even though you know you should have. Her tardiness could make people in your position look suspicious, and that could make your job harder. Yet, you haven't said anything about it to anyone; she meant a lot to you (even if you didn't let it show) and you'd hate to see her lose her job.

        Speak of the devil and she shall appear.

        Despite the ambient sounds of the city around you, you still picked up on a pair of brisk footsteps headed your way. You twisted your neck in their direction and sure enough, there was your friend; wavy ginger hair bouncing around her head and her clothes bright and eye-catching, just like always. Following closely behind her was a man wearing a navy sports jacket and deep gray dress pants.

        "Hey, Tiger!" her voice was light, airy, and slightly out of breath, like always. "I'm sorry I'm late!" She didn't bother giving an excuse.

        "Zion," you grunted in response.

        "Tiger, this is Baron. He's your employer!" The man, Baron, was a little shorter than you: that made him about six feet tall. From what you could tell, he was rather fit - his clothes didn't seem too slack. His skin had a healthy glow and was olivine in tone. His deep brown hair was slicked back but a few strands of noncompliant hair hung out over his slate gray eyes. You were drawn out of your study when he stuck his hand out in your direction. He sent you a charming smile.

        "Nice to meet the woman Miss Zion has said so much about," he remarked. You simply took his hand in a firm shake.

        You noted that Baron seemed to act like all your other associates - he spoke with honeyed words and believed he was always in control of the situation. However, he was careful enough not to test his limits.

        "Now that we're all here," Zion started, "We can start discussing your assignment." You followed her into a nearby restaurant. You watched as she slipped the hostess a stack of bills held together by a silver clip; the clip had a stylized arrow engraved into it. The woman looked up at her with wide eyes. Zion sent her a wink and a smirk in reply. Hastily, the receptionist took the money and placed it in the register before stepping from behind her desk.

        "If you will follow me this way, Miss Sørenson..." Her voice was shaky and she suddenly seemed eager to avoid eye contact. She waved you towards the doorway and lead you through the eatery. You weaved through the tables and chairs, passing many open seats. The patrons would send curious glances your way but would soon return their food. Finally, after weaving through several short corridors you stopped at an oaken door. It was all the way at the back of the building and more importantly, away from prying ears and eyes. The woman quickly fished a silver key out from her pockets and slid into the lock. She fiddled with it for a second before swinging the door open.

        The room was more like a [lounge](http://images.miamiandbeaches.com/images/37525_1760_full.jpg) than a private eating room. To the right side of the room, there was a large bar with steel countertops. The underside of the counter was adorned with curling vines illumined with a faint blue light. A circular chandelier of an orange-yellowish hue hung from the ceiling, matching with the chaise lounge and the pillows lying on the olive green upholstered chairs on the other side of the room. The room was a bit too fancy for your liking, but it wasn't as if you would be here for long.

        "I hope this room to your liking." The words barely registered in your head once you made your way past the woman.

        "This room is just fine, darling~." Zion sent the woman a sweet smile. Almost immediately, the receptionist's face was flushed with red. She bolted out the room almost immediately. Zion had a habit of charming all the people she talked to. Zion eagerly skipped behind the bar and began to browse the shelves in search of a drink.

        "Ooh, Cabernet Sauvignon!" She rejoiced when she saw the bottle of red wine. She promptly grabbed the bottle by its neck and rummaged through a nearby drawer for a cork puller. You sent her a questioning look.

        She turned towards you once she noticed the look on your face. "What? Do you want some?" Your lips twisted into a frown.

        "Oh, come on. One little drink isn't going to hurt you!" Baron coerced. You looked at him in surprise; your employers had never tried to get familiar with you. Nevertheless, you crossed your arms over your chest and shook your head.

         _"I don't drink."_  You hadn't actually said anything, but the message was loud and clear.

        "You know, you can be a real buzzkill sometimes, Tiger," Zion scolded playfully.

        "So she's always like this?" Baron asked.

         "Yup!" You rolled your eyes at her, and she simply snickered in response.

        "Let's just get to business," You muttered, just loud enough for them to hear. Your voice caught Baron off guard. It was pretty deep for a woman, and that wasn't very common. But then again, you weren't very common either. You were quite tall, and not to mention rather muscular. A lot of people ended up mistaking you for a man but you didn't care, as long as it didn't stop you from doing your job.

        "Now, concerning the nature of your job," Baron drew your attention back to him. "The job I'm about to offer you is going to be extremely dangerous."

        You almost snorted. Every job you took was dangerous, but they were never as dangerous as your employers made them out to be. You remember one specific time when a woman had called you about a demon that had been tormenting her family for weeks on end. When you got there, it turned out the demon wasn't all that powerful; it was just a Corvus demon with telepathy. He was so weak that you beat him with nothing but a shiny bracelet and your fists

        "You will require the strongest weapons the Agency can offer; every skill you have ever learned will be put to the ultimate test. I don't expect you take this job, but you're the absolute best Agent they have to offer, and I need the absolute best."

        You raised an eyebrow. "Just who are sending me after?"

        "The Sakamakis." Your breath caught in your throat; Zion sputtered and retched, almost dropping the wine glass onto the floor. 

        No one had ever asked you to go after the Sakamakis. No one had ever been brave enough - or _stupid_ enough - to go after the Sakamakis. They were the most powerful family in the demon realm, not to mention the heirs to the vampire throne. If you went after them, the King would come after you, and you're nowhere near powerful enough to take him on in a fight.

        You stood up from your seat and headed to the door.

        "Wait! If you'll just let me explain-"

        "I don't what you take us for, buddy-" Zion snatched the wine bottle of the countertop and stormed over to the door. "- but we're not bozos! Do you have any idea how powerful they are? Tiger can't even beat them, and she's our best Agent!"

        "Just let me talk for a second, will you?!" You frowned and squinted your eyes. You could've sworn you had seen fangs in his mouth. Was he a Lupus? That didn't make any sense - the Lupus had a grudge against the Clavas but they liked handling things themselves. A Lupus would never sacrifice their pride for a petty dispute. That sounded more like the Vipera, but they're in the Clavas' pockets right now. They wouldn't be stupid enough to stab them in the back, let alone order a hit on the King's sons.

        The man took out a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it to you. You unfolded it; it was a picture of a younger Baron and a girl that bore a strong resemblance to him. The girl was younger than him - probably a pre-teen - and had light brown hair. Her eyes were a bright amber and she was just a few shades paler than Baron.

        "She's my little sister. She disappeared three years ago on a trip to Japan." You looked up at Baron. His lips were twisted into a deep frown, and his eyebrows were drawn tightly together. "I've been searching for her since the day I was told she was missing. The only thing I could find was that she was employed as a maid in the Sakamaki manor and went to the same high school as them."

        He took a deep breath as you stared at him with scrutiny. "At first, I just thought they were one of those weird cults that kidnap girls to be their brides. I was going to call the police but then-" He handed you a set of polaroids. "I saw one of them punch a wall. He practically reduced it to dust. That's not the only thing I've seen them do." You looked at the pictures; all of them had one of the brothers performing some act of paranormal power - totaling a speeding car without so much a scratch, breaking a human's arm with a flick of the wrist.

        A vampire would never be stupid enough to let themselves be seen doing this kind of stuff. While the Clavas are supernaturally powerful, they can still be killed by heavy gunfire or a strong flame. It's the reason why demons haven't attempted to overthrow humanity yet. Something was seriously wrong here. Either the brothers were just arrogant enough to believe that they would never be caught or there's something Baron's hiding from you.

        You looked back up at Baron. His shoulders were tense and stiff and he had the same deep frown on his face from when the conversation began. However, now that you were really looking at him, you noticed a few disparities in his appearance. His eyes were too bright to be a color that naturally occurred in human beings, but he didn't seem to be wearing contacts. His skin was clear of any blemish; in fact, there didn't seem to be anything on his skin. He looked like those people on magazine covers after they had been photoshopped a hundred thousand times.

        "Please, I just need to know what happened to her. You don't need to fight them; I just want you to bring her back," he said quietly. You took another look at the picture of Baron's sister. The girl didn't seem to have anything wrong with her. At least, nothing you could see.

        Now that you thought about it; the job didn't seem that hard. You just needed to figure out what the brothers have done to Baron's sister. You could make a pretty guess as to what's happened to her, though. You would need some time to memorize the layout of the Sakamaki Manor; you'd also need to study their behavior for a few weeks before making a move.

        You looked back at Zion. She had been rather silent for a while, and she had an uncertain look about her. You looked about Baron. The frown was still there, but now he seemed to have a twinge of what seemed like hope there, as well.

        You sighed deeply. This may have been one of the biggest decisions you've ever made in your life.

        "Give me two months."


	3. Zwei

        "Do you have your knives?"

        "Yes."

        "Your invisibility charm?"

        "Yes."

        "Do you have your crossbows?"

        " _Zion_." She stopped in her tracks.

        "I'll be fine."

        "That's a little too confident for my liking, Tiger. The Agency practically lives on Murphy's Law."

        You knew that; everyone in the Agency knew that. It's been drilled into your head since your first day of training. You would never say this out loud, but you were scared. There were so many things that could go wrong with this mission; the charm might stop working, you could slip up and reveal yourself to the brothers, your crossbows might prove to be ineffective - you stopped yourself before you could go any further.

        The Agency had agreed to send you on the mission when you sent them the details. They've been looking for a reason to go after the Sakamakis for a while now. They had known that their father Tougo had been in engaging illegal activities for quite some time, but they've never been able to find evidence of his wrongdoings. Baron had presented the perfect opportunity to investigate and if what he said was true, the Sakakmakis were, at the very least, guilty of abduction. That alone could destroy their rights to ascend the vampire throne and stop Tougo's legacy dead in its tracks.

        The Clavas were strange like that. They liked to point fingers at people the second they learn of their crimes, but they were eager to commit those same sins behind closed doors. Their entire race was hypocritical, but you couldn't expect anything less from a bunch of demons.

        "You know, if I were still in the field," you stopped and looked at Zion, "I'd be going with you."

        "No." You knew what she was getting at.

        "Come on, Tiger! This is the most dangerous assignment you've ever been assigned and you're not letting me go with you?!" She gave you an incredulous look.

        "Not my call to make." You packed the last of your trick arrows into your quiver.

        "We've been partners for 12 years! You can't be serious."

        "Not my call to make."

        She scowled and slumped back in her seat. She immediately turned her attention to her computer, furiously typing away on the keyboard. She was probably sending an email to your higher-ups. You could already see what she was typing.

        "Say hi to Rin for me," You told her. You didn't think he could handle losing another parent.

        You slung your bag over your shoulders and made your way to the door.

        "Hey, Tiger." You turned back to Zion.

        "Don't die, alright. We want you around for as long as possible." You nodded in response.

        You took a long silent breath in as you reached for the doorknob. You released it and opened the door.

* * *

        You huffed as you leaned back on to the tree trunk. You had been sitting in a tree for hours, but so far, the Sakamakis have done nothing of interest. They sure did a whole lot of nothing for the most powerful vampires of all demonkind. If you hadn't known any better, you would've thought you had gotten the wrong house.

        It seems you'd have to do the one thing that you've been dreading this whole mission: go inside the mansion. You sighed through your nose and tucked your binoculars away into a pocket. You climbed down the tree, careful to rearrange the branches as you went, erasing any sign of you being there. You took out your wrist comm; the wind was blowing to the northeast. You began to slink through the underbrush, stopping every so often and watching the windows of the manor.

        None of them were aware you were there, yet. Things could go south in a minute. You took your crossbow out and loaded the grappling hook and rope to it. Slowly, you raised your arm and aimed at the rain gutter on the roof. The hook clipped on the edge of the pipe easily. You paused and glanced around again, then looked back up at the window. Still nothing.

        You clipped the ropes unto your belt and scaled up the wall. You stopped just below the window and waited.

        Silence. You peeked over the sill of the window. The room was empty, devoid of any furniture or decoration. Rather, it was filled with boxes and locked chests. You took out a pick and began to unlock the window, swinging it open. You were careful not to the disturb the dust on the boxes as you entered the room. You stopped just before the door and listened. 

        Quiet footsteps step passed the door just as you did so. You held your breath, paying close attention to the weight of the steps and their pace. It didn't seem to be any of the Sakamakis; the footsteps were too light to belong to any of them and they were also quick. It was probably just a servant. Still, you waited until the sound of the steps faded into the distance; a maid could be just as dangerous as any king.

        You let out a quiet breath, then opened the door, making sure you didn't take any of the dust in the storage room with you. You looked down at your wrist comm. According to the schematics, there was a large cellar beneath the mansion, and it had three possible entrances. The one closest to you was to your left, down the hallway, past a living room and a closet. You cast a look over your shoulder then crept forward. Your charm had cloaked you the second you set foot inside the mansion, but it didn't hurt to be safe.

        Suddenly, the living room door flew open, and a girl with strawberry blonde hair tumbled out. She frantically began to look around her, then froze when she looked in your direction. 

        She could see you. She could  _see_  you.

        A clamor of voices arose in the living room; the blonde, gasping, stood up and ran down the hallway.

        How did she see you? Humans have never been able to see through your charm, and that included you. They would only see a faint shimmer in the air, but that was never a good reason to investigate. Was she a demon? That wasn't quite right, either; demons couldn't see through invisibility charms unless they used magic.

        A boy with white hair stormed out of the room. His head swiveled, around. his red eyes never once stopped on you. Snarling, he shot off down the hallway; no doubt, he was hunting down the girl that had run off.

        You took a silent step back. Then another one. Then another one. You were about to turn around when you caught sight of a pair of bright blue eyes. One of the vampires had followed the albino one out of the room. You held your breath as the two of you had a silent stare-down. The boy broke away from the silent standoff and disappeared.

        Quickly, you shot off down the hallway, dashing back into the storage room and quietly closing the door behind you. You let out a shaky breath. That was way too close.

        You opened the window and retraced your steps until you stood on the other side of the manor's outer walls. You pulled up your wrist com once more, but this time you entered the contacts and pressed Zion's name.

        "Tiger?" Her voice chimed through the grainy audio of the com. "You're supposed to be on radio silence. Did something happen? Are you hurt!?"

        "Change of plans."

* * *

        Reiji frowned for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. Today had just been a whirlwind of events. First, that girl had rudely barged into their home without so much as a knock to let them she was there; then, that _good-for-nothing_ _deadbeat_ had told him that he knew she was coming, but neglected to tell anyone of her arrival; then, the triplets decided to be their idiotic selves and chase the new sacrifice bride all across the mansion, making a terrible mess as they went; and lastly, that stupid girl had somehow managed to open that accursed room and tried to hide in it.

        "But there was someone else here, I swear!" Yui protested as he dragged her back to her room.

        Reiji snorted; he had already gone back to the hallway, but there had been no evidence of anyone else being there. The idiocy of this girl never failed to amuse him.

        He shoved her back the room, locking it as he left, then stopping to rub his temples. At least, she hadn't gotten hurt when the triplets were chasing her. That would've delayed the time he used to experiment on her. He smiled. He couldn't wait to see how far she could be pushed.


	4. Drei

"There's another girl there?!"

You glared at her; anybody could hear her at that volume. Zion let out a frustrated sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair. She sat back in her chair and placed her hands on her face. She sat up and turned to the computer screen to her right, typing a quick status update to send to your Superiors.

"What about Baron's sister?" she asked quietly.

"Status unknown."

"And the new girl - what does she look like?"

"Petite figure, shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes. Health is currently fine, but it may not stay that way for long."

Zion cursed under her breath when you said that. A ding emitted from her computer screen. It was probably your Superiors' reply.

"The Council's reply just came back. Your new orders are to come back to HQ and wait for further instructions. As of now, the mission objective is undecided." You nodded and saluted to Zion. She gave a halfhearted reply back and signed off. You put your wrist com away and jogged into the woods surrounding the mansion; your motorcycle was hidden somewhere in the underbrush. 

* * *

 

You silently put your suit away into your locker, having since changed into a simple black tank top and cargo pants. You slammed the door shut and the lock automatically slid shut. You turned and walked out of the locker room. The agents around you gave you quiet greetings and smiles as you walked by, but you only offered a small nod back. You quietly walked down the hallway, passing many different rooms as you went; the training rooms were occupied by the newest agents, trying to get in as much practice as they could before there first mission; the conference rooms were filled with the Agency's lawyers, making deals and finding loopholes; the offices were taken up by the older agents completing paperwork and overseeing the many divisions of the Agency.

It felt strange knowing that might be you someday. You had never really like working with others; the only exception to this rule was Zion. Orders and information were bound to get mixed up somewhere along the way, and every person the Agency tried to pair you up with (aside from Zion) had an ulterior motive in mind:

1\. Kiss up to get on your good side, or

2\. Try to outdo you and get the Council's attention.

The newer Agents all seemed to be under the impression that this was just a competition to be won. You could only shake your head at them. You didn't get to be as good as you were by constantly challenging your superiors' authority and butting heads with everybody.

"Tiger!" A harsh voice called to you from the other end of the hallway. You turned around to face the unknown person; it was Baron, and he didn't look happy.

"Where's my sister?" he demanded. "You were supposed to-"

"The mission objective has changed," you walked past him as you spoke.

"What do you mean 'it's changed?!'" He stomped after you.

"Classified."

"Classified?! This is my sister's life we're talking about! I think I should have a right to know!" He rushed into your path, forcing you to stop in your tracks.

"You don't." You tried to step around him, but he followed your movement and continued to block your way. It was hard for people to anger you, but this man was starting to get on your nerves.

"Tell me; did you even really look for her?" he asked you quietly. You stared at him for a moment. Then, you stepped past him and kept walking down the hallway.

"If you want details, contact Zion." You called over your shoulder. You didn't stay long enough to see the dark, fuming expression on Baron's face. 

* * *

 

This was the first time you had ever prepared for the same mission twice. 

You strapped your harness onto your chest, tugging on it to make sure it was secure. Then you took your belt and went over its contents once more; everything was in its place. You picked up a flashbang and clicked to your belt. You already had two others; it was best to be safe.

Satisfied with your gear, you walked towards your motorcycle and sat on it, revving and checking the gauges.

"Okay, look," Zion said quietly. "I know you don't like using the equalizer, but you may not have a choice." She handed you a thin black box. You didn't dare open it; once you did that, there would be no going back. You simply nodded and clipped it to your belt.

You revved up the engine and sped out of the garage, racing off to face the Sakamakis for what you hoped would be the last time.


	5. Vier

You slipped quietly through the underbrush, retracing the familiar path you took, but careful not to disturb any leaves. The objective had changed, and so did your demeanor. You couldn't afford to take your time anymore; every second counted, and if you missed a beat it could destroy the entire mission.

 _"Okay, the girl's bedroom should be to your right,"_ Zion chimed over your earpiece. You came to a silent halt and looked up at the window. A pair of pink drapes obscured the room itself, but they alone were evidence enough of the female's presence.

You switched on the pads on your palms and feet, touching the wall to check their reliability. The held fast, and you began to scale the wall. The pads weren't included in your stealth suit; they tended to leave a sour-smelling residue behind and would've been a dead giveaway of your presence.

You reached the window pretty quickly. Immediately, you pulled out the Fae Lock Pick and set it on the window - you were glad the brothers hadn't remembered to sprinkle salt on the window sill. The lock popped open with a tiny click and you slid the window open. You stuck your head through; amongst the sea of pinkness, you found a head of strawberry blonde hair lying on a bed on just underneath the window.

You carefully positioned yourself to jump onto the floor; you landed with a soft thump. Unfortunately for you, the girl wasn't a heavy sleeper. She stirred and sat up almost immediately. She looked around, searching for the source of the noise with a wary gaze. Her eyes landed on you in an instant. She opened her mouth to scream - you slapped your hand over her mouth, bringing your finger to your lips. Or rather, where they would've have been if she could see your lips. She seemed to have gotten the idea, though.

 _"Tiger! There's something heading towards you, and it's moving fast!"_   You whipped around and swung your fist out, your hand successfully striking your would-be attacker. The blond haired boy - Shuu Sakamaki - reeled back, clutching his nose in pain. You didn't give him the chance to recover; you slammed your knee into his stomach and forced him to double over. You grabbed the back of his collar, stepped forward, and pulled him over your shoulder, sending him flying through the window. The girl shrieked as glass flew through the air.

You grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the bed. She yelped as she through the door; her tiny legs struggled to match your pace.

 _"Turn right. There should be a back door in the kitchen that you can use,"_ Zion told you. You cut to the left and raced down the corridor. Suddenly, a white-haired boy appeared to block your path; Subaru. You came to a screeching halt, then sprinted in the other direction. The girl yelped as you tugged on her arm. Subaru shouted when you turned around; he'd probably try to get in the way again at any moment.

 _"What's happening? Why are you going the other way?"_ Zion's voice was crackly and frantic; the comms tended to break up when you were moving.

"Trouble," you replied. Subaru shot in front of you, standing in a wide stance, and his arms up in an offensive position.

"Where do you think you're going?!" He swung at your head; you dodged and snatched a flashbang off your belt, hurling it into his face. 

"Close your eyes." You told Yui quickly. Subaru hissed in pain as the flashbang went off. You flicked your wrist, your dagger flying out of your hand into Subaru's shoulder. He howled in pain as he stumbled back into the wall. You yanked your dagger out and grabbed Yui's arm, bolting down the hallway once more.

 _"I got three more heading your way - and by the looks of it they don't look too happy!"_  

"Shit." You stopped in your tracks as the three surrounded you. Laito, Kanato, Reiji. You could handle them all individually, but if they teamed up against you, it could mean death. You need to find a way to play them against each other.

You pulled out a bag from your pocket and slapped your hand over Yui's mouth again. You threw the bag down; it exploded into a cloud of bright green mist.

"Don't move," you whispered to the girl. Silence filled the corridor. Then, the sounds of punches being thrown echoed through the corridor. You couldn't see through the mist, but you knew it had the effect you intended. You grabbed the girl and rushed past the brawling brothers.

The Daze Mist had a 100% chance of working, but only if there was just one assailant - the chances of it working with three were erratic at best. You doubt you'd be able to use it a second time, though.

 _"Turn left then go down the stairs,"_  Zion said over the comm. _"There should be a door leading to the sublevel of the manor."_

"I'm on it," you told her. Sure enough, the door was right where she said it would be. You took hold of the doorknob and threw the door open, closing it as silently and quietly as you could. You stared at the door in silence. You heard the sound of a pair of rushing footsteps run past the door. You took a few deep breaths to calm your racing heartbeat. Then, you turned and walked down the dark spiraling staircase.

"Do you know where this leads?" you asked the girl.

"No. I haven't been here very long, and they never let me really explore." Her voice wavered as she stumbled over a step - you caught her as she began to fall forward. You continued on in silence, the girl stumbling ever so often as she traveled down the dark stairway. You didn't dare turn on your flashlight; you might alert the brothers to your location.

"My name is Yui," the girl spoke up suddenly. You looked back at her for a second, then turned back to the stairway.

"You're the person from before-" Yui observed. "-the one in the black suit. You must've have been sent by my father!" You sent her a stern look; Yui's mouth closed shut. You put your finger to your lips again and leaned closer, making absolute sure Yui understood. She meekly nodded her head in understanding. You turned around and continued walking down the steps.

 _"Okay, you should be entering the sub-level right about now."_  Sure enough, you reached the end of the staircase and walked into a vast open room.

 _"Geez, this place is like the catacombs! If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you were in France._ "You snorted as she said that. You remembered a particularly embarrassing moment of hers in that exact place. You shook your head - now is not the time to reminisce.

Yui came to a sudden halt and curled in on herself. You turned to look at her.

"What's wrong?" you asked softly.

"It's cold," she whispered. "It feels like there's something else here." She shook as she struggled to cover herself. When you had pulled her out of the bed, she had nothing but a nightgown on. Maybe she was just picking up on the breeze running through the ossuaries. This hadn't exactly been the first time you had met someone that believed they could feel "supernatural presences."

 _"I think the kid might be onto something, Tiger."_ You raised an eyebrow as she said that.A chart appeared on the bottom right side of your mask's HUD.

 _"Your suit's picking up on traces of ectoplasm. I don't think there's enough to suggest anything's there but proceed with caution - just in case. We don't these guys have been up to,"_ She muttered that last sentence, but you heard it nonetheless.

"Understood. Come on." You gestured to Yui and began to creep down the walkway.

For about ten minutes, you traveled down the pitch black crypt, with only the sound of dripping water and Yui's bare feet slapping against the stone filling your ears. Soon, however, an unfortunately familiar smell invaded your nostrils - rotting corpses.

The bloated, maggoty remains lined the walls - skin gray and falling off. You felt bile rise up in your throat, but you clenched your jaw and forced it back down. You couldn't even tell who these girls were; these bodies looked they had been here for months, maybe even years. Their skin was marred with scars and old bruises. Dark brown stains laid on the floor undeath the bodies - definitely blood.

Yui ran into your back and buried her nose into your back, sending shivers up your spine. You tried to step forward to escape her grasp, but Yui simply mimicked your movement. You struggled not to sigh; this was one of the reasons you didn't do rescue missions. You hated clingy rescuees - they had a tendency to get in the way.

You walked forward, trying your best not to choke on the suffocating smell of rot. Yui tried her best not to let you go.

 _"Tiger, there are two bogies heading towards your location right now!"_  You stopped in your tracks as you began to search for a place to hide.

 _"There's a nook to your left - it's small, but I think if you squeeze in, you can both fit."_  You darted to the side, pulling Yui in front of you. You pushed her into the niche first; then, you stepped over the bodies lining the walls and pressed yourself into the recess. Yui's shivering came to a quick halt when your combined heat began to fill the tiny space. You sat, positioned in such a way that your body completely covered Yui's and the only thing visible was your pitch black suit.

Soon, a head of purplish hair came into view; Yui let out a quiet gasp as she looked over your shoulder. You would've turned to shush her if you weren't so focused on Reiji.

"Whoever you are," Reiji spoke up as four of the brothers walked into view. "I would suggest that you reveal yourself now. We may consider letting you leave in one piece if you surrender. You pressed yourself further into the nook. If you moved any further, they might figure out where you were. The only thing masking your location right now was the stench of the carcasses. 

Maybe if you - no, that wouldn't work. They might see the flashbang coming this time, and you wouldn't make it past them this time. You could try the Daze Mist again, but that was only ever effective the first time. It was amazing it had even worked the first time. You slowly began to reach for the crossbow on your thigh; you stopped just before you touched the handle. You were quick, but not quicker than a vampire. You wouldn't be able to shoot all five of them at the same time. The daggers were definitely out.

"Oi, Chinchinashi! If you know what's good for you, you'll come out right now, and ditch this wannabe Van Helsing." Helsing wasn't even a real person. Your eyes flickered down to the thin black box on your waist. No, you can't use that. But as you thought over your options, every possible plan, and every possible outcome, you realized the equalizer may be your only chance out of this. There were so many things that could go wrong if you used it, but you were running out of good choices.

Just as you reached for the black box, however, something glittered in the edge of your vision. You turned to regard it closer - if you didn't know any better, you might not have realized that it was a rune. You recognized that specific rune as well. Many of them were set up around the Agency's bases; they were made specifically to ward off ghosts and contain any poltergeists in the area.

By the looks of it, this one had certainly seen better days. A well-aimed arrow could probably destroy it. You had good reason to believe that the corpses have a bone to pick with the Sakamakis.

Slowly, you reached down for your thigh and unclipped the crossbow. You loaded a single bolt and held the crossbow in front of your face. You struggled to keep your heartbeat steady as you aimed for the rune. You took a deep breath; you let the bolt fly out of the crossbow.

_Crrrck!_

The rune snapped and magic flew through the air, dissipating before hitting the ground. Soon, a powerful wind began to sweep through the catacombs; Reiji looked around, his face a mixture of horror and bewilderment. Laito was suddenly yanked backward, disappearing into the darkened corridors. An apparition made its presence known - it gave a long, blood-curdling screech before rushing at the brothers. 

Quickly, you leaped out of the niche and over the bodies, Yui quickly following suit. You ran past the shrieking poltergeist and rotting bodies into the winding hallways of the catacombs. No one made any attempt to stop the two of you, but you didn't care.

It was hard to describe but you could tell that the walls and floors were changing somehow. Zion would tell you to go one way, but when you moved in that direction, you were suddenly standing on the other end of the hallway. A great wind was flowing through the crypt; you could tell that you were getting closer to the exit, as the breeze was getting stronger and stronger by the second.

Abruptly, the cool night air slammed into your body as you burst through the door leading outside. The screaming had long since faded away. You looked back up at the mansion wall. The windows and doors hadn't changed at all, but you could see that the interior of the manor was constantly changing.

"Come on," you told Yui after a while. You padded into the underbrush, approaching your motorcycle quickly. You sat on it, and Yui reluctantly sat behind you, locking her hands around your waist.

"Zion, I've got Yui. I'm leaving the mansion now." You rode off the manor's grounds, disappearing into the night.


End file.
